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Women in Science

Part-time and flexible working

Video clip: Jane says a culture change is needed so that families are not only seen as women’s responsibility and so that part-time and flexible work isn’t seen as ‘disruptive’ but normal.

And it’s quite, there’s, the stereotyping is interesting. I mean its things like maternity leave, you know because maternity leave is a, maternity leave and going part-time is ‘a problem.’ I mean this is, this is a comment about the clinical services but it, people going on maternity leave is ‘disruptive’, people coming, wanting to work flexibly and part-time is ‘disruptive.’ That’s the language that’s used. Now that’s not stereotyping exactly but if we are committed to having women in the work place this is normal. This is perfectly reasonable. In fact it’s positively to be encouraged because if it’s to be discouraged we haven’t got much of a future. People aren’t going to do it, so is that stereotyping? But it’s the mood music that makes it slightly difficult. You know why should a woman be scared of applying for a job when she’s pregnant? Scared for, scared to let her boss know that she’s trying to become pregnant? All these, until we change, it’s perfectly normal, and actually I feel very strongly that until men think that having a child is going to affect their career massively because they will have responsibilities for all the rest of their life. Until that becomes what we all think is a decision about having children, it’s not about what women do, it’s what people might choose to do, until that’s the way we see it women will always be disadvantaged.